Kehinde Wiley

In most of the art classes that I have taken, we have learned about Kehinde Wiley’s work. I must admit that I used to overlook these lessons, often forgetting who and what was shown, gaining only a slight familiarity of certain names. However, learning to paint with oils has been a humbling experience that has led me to the conclusion that there is so much to learn, and that the artists we hear about in class, are people who can provide us with the insight that we need to improve. There are so many possibilities to explore the different properties of paint, different means to get a desired color, and the possibility for vibrancy that can only be achieved with oils.

            Kehinde Wiley is known for his unique take on portraiture, in which he draws inspiration from various historical sources such as paintings, textures, and figures. Many of his works present a contemporary take on old master paintings, with the subject being replaced by black men. For example, Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps, 2005 is based on the painting by Jacques-Louis David, with Napoleon having been replaced by a man in modern clothing: camouflage pants, work boots, and a bandana. Wiley remakes the portrait, making it unique to his style, while still maintaining a strong reference to the original. 

Wiley works on large-scale canvases and uses a photorealistic approach with the portraits of the models, standing them in front of intricate, brightly colored backgrounds that are reminiscent of historical textiles, including African and Islamic designs. In his ongoing work the World Stage, Wiley goes out into the streets, wherever he is, and he talks to people who he thinks are interesting. These people become the models for his paintings. He then matches them up with backgrounds. His subject matter and models raise sociopolitical issues of authority. 

One thing that I find interesting is his method, how so much work goes into the preparation of each painting: research, recruiting, matching, and painting. Especially when compared to old paintings, which people had to pay absurd amounts of money to be in, his subjects are people who are minding their own business when they get approached.  

Among the things that stand out in his portraits, is the intensity of the colors he uses, the clothing and posture of the models, and their eye contact with the viewer. The portraits have a personality, unique to each person. The model decides how they want to be seen, so what we get as viewers is how the people want to be seen in a formal setting. What is perhaps the most compelling part of his work, is the interaction between subject and background. The patterns seem to come to life, weaving their way into the foreground, engulfing the figure in a composition that is as much push, as it is pull. The bright colors he uses are reflected on the faces making them glow with unexpected moments of color.